critique
- Thread starter Izod1360
- Start date
your leg looks scrunched up, and you have a slight chair seat. by lengthening your stirrups 1-2 holes, you'll be able to stretch your leg down and your weight into your heels. i'd like to see you put your elbows farther back by your sides, and that will make you lengthen your rein a little, but still have thet same contact with your horses mouth. your slouching a bit and tipping forward. sit up straight and tall, sink your weight down and into your heels. shoulders back. you have good eyes, they look up and ahead which will be a good thing for hunters, jumpers, or whatever you decide to do.
lovely horse
lovely horse
I agree with tbjumper.You need to lengthen your stirrups.In alot of your pics you look as though you are leaning forwards which will put your horse on his forehand.Lengthening your stirrups should also help you keep your lower leg in the correct position as at the moment you look to be gripping with the back of your leg (your toes are pointing outwards) rather than allowing your legs to wrap around the horse and your toes to point forwards.Your shoulders are rounded rather than back.Try to sit up and push your shoulders back and this should bring your elbows back to your side.It is difficult to tell from pictures but does the horse lean on your hands? I'm just wondering if this may be why your shoulders appear rounded and you appear to be rather too forwards in some of the pics.You do look as though you have a nice secure deep seat though in all of your photos.Well done!
Yep you do the same thing I do - slip into a chair seat, I'm terrible for doing it and always getting shouted at by my instructor
Pop your stirrups down a couple of holes, then rather than trying to push your legs back you need to move your whole centre of balance. So think more about "lifting" your posture and chest up and tilting your pelvis forward more, aiming to very lightly touch the saddle in rising trot. Bring your shoulders and elbows back and push your chest out a bit more - it feels really exaggerated a'la "Jordan style" at first But when you relax and then actually look at yourself you are just sitting more upright and supporting your own weight and balance more. If you shift your centre of balance your legs will move into the correct position, but I find it sometimes helps to lift them away from the saddle completely from the thigh and then back a few inches and then relax into your position from there.
Lots of no stirrups work helps as well
Pop your stirrups down a couple of holes, then rather than trying to push your legs back you need to move your whole centre of balance. So think more about "lifting" your posture and chest up and tilting your pelvis forward more, aiming to very lightly touch the saddle in rising trot. Bring your shoulders and elbows back and push your chest out a bit more - it feels really exaggerated a'la "Jordan style" at first
But when you relax and then actually look at yourself you are just sitting more upright and supporting your own weight and balance more. If you shift your centre of balance your legs will move into the correct position, but I find it sometimes helps to lift them away from the saddle completely from the thigh and then back a few inches and then relax into your position from there.Lots of no stirrups work helps as well
To be fair though you were jumping, so I could understand the shortness of stirrup, but as angelfben says, you have a bit of a chair seat!
I'm not going to even go into detail as angelfben has done it much better then I ever could!!!
I'm not going to even go into detail as angelfben has done it much better then I ever could!!!
Oh silly me of course you were jumping so stirrups would be shorter, obviously having a blonde day
First thing I noticed was that you are hunched, open your shoulders or otherwise known as shoulders back. You are leaning forward a bit so try and center yourself in the middle of the saddle in many of the pics you are more towards the back (this would also cause chair seat). My trainer would strangle you if he saw your heels lol. Put your weight into your heels as much as you can and drop your stirrups a hole or two. In some of the pictures you have piano hands and in others you seem correct. Your horse appears on the forehand. My horse goes on the forehand until I ask him to shift back to his hindquarters. I basically make him like a spring lift up my hands so they aren't on his neck and get his neck up and collect him (Jumper style). Then I ask him for lots of transitions so that he is in front of my leg and capable of doing the tasks set for him to do.
Megzii_&_Medi.x
Just A Average Chesnut
ok so ** legs were abit far back an u were hunched alittle thats all you really need to say i couldnt have done what every1 else did i just couldnt Actually I disagree, you don't have a chair seat. Take a piece of paper and hold it vertically against the screen, so it goes through the shoulder, hip and heel. Straight line The reason it may look like that is because a) you have super short stirrups, even for jumping, and b) you are in a GP saddle.
I think your leg position is pretty good in the side on shot, can't really see in the others, although I think you may be gripping with the outside of your calves, which is causing your toes to turn out. If you concentrate on opening the hips and using the inside of your calves to apply your leg aids, it may help. Work without stirrups would help a lot too.
Finally, I notice you do what me and all my friends do - tip forward. It's really hard not to, but try and keep your shoulders up and back and your seatbones underneath you. Good job
The reason it may look like that is because a) you have super short stirrups, even for jumping, and b) you are in a GP saddle. I think your leg position is pretty good in the side on shot, can't really see in the others, although I think you may be gripping with the outside of your calves, which is causing your toes to turn out. If you concentrate on opening the hips and using the inside of your calves to apply your leg aids, it may help. Work without stirrups would help a lot too.
Finally, I notice you do what me and all my friends do - tip forward. It's really hard not to, but try and keep your shoulders up and back and your seatbones underneath you. Good job
Thanks for the replies!!! The horse is a polo horse so would that be the reason she is on the forehand?
Also I did have my stirrups longer but we had to put them up twice because when they were longer my leg position went to pot I am used to riding with shorter stirrups than normal. And all my RI's have told me to point my toes out.... Do you think it is just a different way American RI teach?
My toes aren't really pointing out in this picture
LOL and this picture shows me getting my stirrups fixed
Also I did have my stirrups longer but we had to put them up twice because when they were longer my leg position went to pot
I am used to riding with shorter stirrups than normal. And all my RI's have told me to point my toes out.... Do you think it is just a different way American RI teach?My toes aren't really pointing out in this picture
LOL and this picture shows me getting my stirrups fixed
How strange, maybe it's just different where you are taught then, I think generally in the UK toes sticking out are 'bad' and we are encouraged to point them forwards or even in. They are better in that photo though.
P
Pink's lady
Guest
Presumabaly we're not allowed to mention the too-tight standing martinggale being used for jumps?..........
Other than that thought you've got a fairly good position. You stirrups are a little short however, even for jumping - you look like you're perched on top of the horse, making your centre of gravity too high.
If you felt they were too long once you'd put them down a bit, it suggests you ride too short on the flat. Lots of no stirrup work and gradually lenghtening your stirrups will sort that.
You also look tense - you've got that 'scrunched up' look about you. Try to open your shoulders a little, bringing them back. Doing that will make you sit up too, and allow you to lower your centre of balance a little as you relax your back and seat. It will also allow you to lengthen you legs and therefore cope with your stirrups being a couple of holes longer.
Can't tell much from the jumping photo but you look like you've got a secure position with your heels down. But no leaning on the neck!
Other than that thought you've got a fairly good position. You stirrups are a little short however, even for jumping - you look like you're perched on top of the horse, making your centre of gravity too high.
If you felt they were too long once you'd put them down a bit, it suggests you ride too short on the flat. Lots of no stirrup work and gradually lenghtening your stirrups will sort that.
You also look tense - you've got that 'scrunched up' look about you. Try to open your shoulders a little, bringing them back. Doing that will make you sit up too, and allow you to lower your centre of balance a little as you relax your back and seat. It will also allow you to lengthen you legs and therefore cope with your stirrups being a couple of holes longer.
Can't tell much from the jumping photo but you look like you've got a secure position with your heels down. But no leaning on the neck!
I don't know why they do that. But almost all the horses wear them and 90% of them are polo horses, so maybe thats why?
M
mu0ljk
Guest
Everyone has pointed out the main points - so I won't do so again!
Regarding the toes pointing out, I have exactly the same problem but have been told by different instructors that it isn't the end of the world and not to over worry about it! So personally, I shouldn't worry too much about your toes!
Regarding the toes pointing out, I have exactly the same problem but have been told by different instructors that it isn't the end of the world and not to over worry about it! So personally, I shouldn't worry too much about your toes!
N
Nazdaq
Guest
thats basically what I look like as well, stirrups too short, lean forward when nervous, all hunched and tense, and I also have a problem with my heels! So you are not the only one, keep going, you will get there eventually.
K
Kate&TheHerd
Guest
I don't know why they do that. But almost all the horses wear them and 90% of them are polo horses, so maybe thats why?
Probably, most polo horses are used to working in standing martingales
To be honest at that height of jump the martingale wouldn't really cause any problems, I wouldn't want to jump any higher in one but since you know it's not ideal but can't do anything about it I wouldn't overly worry yourself about it 
Many places over here will have you point your toes out when jumping so that your calves are on the horse.
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